No third-party code on the Windows on ARM desktop means no plugins for Internet Explorer

Windows on ARM won't allow third-party programs to use the desktop. That …

Yesterday, Steven Sinofsky, president of Windows and Windows Live Division, described the restrictions that Windows on ARM ("WOA") would impose on its desktop. The built-in Windows apps—including Explorer and Internet Explorer 10—and four Office apps—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote—would run on the desktop, but nothing else would. Third-party applications would be prohibited, and there would be no provision to port existing desktop applications to run on the ARM desktop.

This led to an immediate, if somewhat surprising, reaction across the Internet. "But what about browser plugins? Will they also be forbidden?"

The answer to that is "Yes." Or perhaps even "Yes, of course they are, since it was stated in unequivocal terms that there would be no provision to run third-party code on the desktop. That means you, Flash."

And if there were any lingering doubts, Sinofsky told AllThingsD that indeed, the ARM desktop browser would have no plugins.

Plugin users will therefore have few options when Windows 8 ships. The Metro-style browser won't support plugins on any processor architecture. x86 and x64 Windows will allow sites to tell you to use the desktop browser, and if plugins are what you want, that's what you'll have to use.